Refrigerator unit



June 13, 1,933.Y w. s. JosEPHsoN REFRIGERATOR UNIT Filed Jan. 13

J ATTORNEY Patented dune 13, 1933 sri/arias i WAllliTER S. JOSEPHSON, 'OF NEW YGRK, N. AMERCA, F NEW YORK, N. Y.,

` trice Y., ASSGOR T0 DRYCE CORPOEATH @2? A CORPORATXON 0F DELAWJRJE anruieniaaroia purr Application filed January 13, 1930. Serial No. 420,236.

with certain principles therein set forth, and l that a block so formed is suitable for maintaining within the spaces to be refrigerated a temperature which is constant within the predetermined limits.

rl`he present invention relates to a Icontainerv by which these advantageously, having in mind the particular purpose for which the refrigerant is to be used and by which it may be employed particularly in ordinary household refrigerators most conveniently and most eliicieiitly.

As set forth in my said copending application, the material forming this refrigerant consists of hydrated solid lcarbon dioxide into which a predetermined quantity of moisture has been introduced during manufacture. l

Vpropose for the refrigerant to be utilized in the present invention, a block of hydrated solid carbon dioxide of which the water content is between 10 and 2O per cent. v

The container into which this is placed is formed of conducting materiahsuch as iron or other metal having high heat conductivity and having projections or fins on the interior and exterior of the container or being otherwijse constructed to afford la large heatabsorbing surface. This container which may have for'ordinary uses a generally rectangular or cubical form is further provided `with supports upon which the block or refrigerant 40 may rest, the object being to maintain a space between the sides of the block of refrigerant and the walls of the container, thewidth (of the space being determined by the particular uses or temperature conditions which it is de-n sirable to maintain in the refrigeiiated space outside the container. A'vent to permit thegas from the melting block to flow into, this refrigerated space is provided preferably at the top of the container, and a pipe orfdrain at the bottom of the container, carries advantages may be realized,

water as may come from the melting block of refrigerant.

'lthe invention will be more clearly understood from the drawing to. which reference is now made. y

Fig. l of the drawing shows the container of this invention in sectional elevation.

Fig. lli shows a plan view of the same with container.

Referring now to ltig.. lf, 1 is the container body made of a good heat conducting material such as cast iron. 'lihe walls of the container 1, are formed preferably in a series of reentrant angles, the angles, 2, having the eect of exterior fins and the angles, 3, having the eectof fins extending inwardly. At the bottom of the space forming the interior of the container `are supports 4, consisting of 'a good heat insulatingmaterial such as balsa wood. A block of refrigerant, 5, rests upon the supports, 4. Beneathrthe bottom of the container is a space, 6, adapted to receive water from the melting block, 5. rlhe waste pipe, 7, permits the-water from the melting lock, 5, to drain into thespace, 6. The Hoor of the space, 6, slopes slightly down toward the-tap, 8, controlled by afaucet or spring button arrangement or other Well known de-y vice and by which the water may be drawn 0H. A door, 9, shown in Fig. II fitting the body, 1, of the Ncontainer when closed preferably by stepped arrangement adapted to prelvent the ready `entrance of outside air', pei'- mits the servicing of the container.

The container of this invention is especially adaptable for use with a refrigerant such the supports in place at the bottom of' theas the hydrated solid carbon dioxidel de-l scribed' and claimed in mysaid copendin application Serial No. 399,911. A. soli block of this refrigerant measuring about one cubic foot and having a water content of 10 to 20 per cent will contain about one gallon of water. this invention that a thick blanket of water of the block of refrigerant; and as the thick- As it is a desirable feature ofv snow should be caused to form on the surface ness o'f this blanket depends 'upon the volume of the blockl and the percentage ofwa.-

ter contained in it, the vcontainer should be suiiiciently large to allow of space between the block and the container walls to accommodate the blanket. Thus assuming that the block shown in Fig. I is about one cubic foot in dimensions and that it contains about one gallon of water, the water snow blanket will be from one inch to one and one half inch thick. The container, therefore, that is designed to hold a block of that size should have space onk all sides of about one andone half inch between the walls-andthe block.

Moreover, as the solid block melts and decreases in size, the space between it and the walls enlarges. This circumstance consequently tends to withdraw the water snow blanket from contact with the container walls and tends to diminish the effect of the fins of conducting material of which the walls are composedY To counterbalance this, however, I may provide a plate of a material having good heat conducting properties such as cast iron, this plate; 10", is kept in constant contactl witlrthe top of the refrigerant and as the block melts andrecedes from the wall, by its own weight. Heat transfer is secured by the plate, 10, and the container walls.

which are always in contact with the blocks through the medium of links 11.

As the solid block inelts the gas given off assumes with great rapidity a-volume of over 600 times that it has in the 'solid form. Sol great and sudden an expansion, necessitatesl the provision of the vent, 12, at the topV of the container to permit the gas to escape when the pressure becomes too great. The vent, 12, may be a simple pipe or tube, or it may be fitted with a top'or cap, 13, joined `to the outletof the vent by the hinge, 14. I

' have found by experiment lthat the water blanket is formed mainly from the water given off by the block of hydratedsolid carbon dioxide. For as the block melts, it gives off a moisture charged carbon dioxide gas.

The temperature' of the refrigerating block/ is about -110 F. If'this gas is detained in the neighborhood of the block, a great part of its moisture content will form upon the surface of the block as a water snow. The

blanket of water snow is a very efiicient insulator and serves to preserve andv lengthenA the life of the-block of refrigerant. It also has a very important effect upon the temperature maintained within the refrigerated space outside the container.

l The eifect of this blanket, may be understood from the following experiment.

p Broken pieces of hydrated solid carbon dioxide are placed in a flask which is tightly corked to preventV the entrance of atmovblock 'begins .to melt and causes a `violent bubbling of the gas through the water due to the extraordinary pressure of gas in the first instance coming from thev solid material This bubbling continues for a period during `which the snow blanket on the solid p-ieces in the flask becomes noticeable and, indeed, attains a considerable thickness. When the blanket has attained a certain thickness, there is a sudden and marked cessation of the bubbling through the water and thereafter there is noticeable only an occasional bubble at intervals of several minutes. It is quite evident, therefore, that the water blanket by its insulating properties, hasa very marked retarding e'ect upon the melting of the block.

Furthermore, temperature determinations show that this blanket of watery snow on the surface of the solid refrigerant, isabout 32 F. on the outside and graduates down to the temperature close to' that ofthe block itself on the inside. Through this blanket of wa- )ter snow, the gas from the block during its phase changing action Hows and the interstices between the particles of snow in the blanket are iilled withgas which, as is well known, is an extraordinarily poor conductor of heat. i A

What I claim is 1. A household refrigerator unit comprising a housing of rectangular cross section having walls of good heat conducting mate- ,l

ducting material adapted to rest upon a block of refrigerated material within said housing;

arms connectingsaid plate to the top of said housing, said arms being adapted and arranged to permit said plate to remain in contact with said block at all times during phase changing action thereof while mainf taining connection with the top of said housing and forming a heat conducting path between said plate and said housing: v

2, A refrigerator unit comprising a refrigerant consisting of hydrated solid carbon dioxide enclosed in walls of conducting material, a support for the solid, lmeans associated with said walls for effectingheat .transfer between said refrigerant and sai-d walls and means permitting the escape of gas and water from said meltingv refrigerant to gthe outside of said unit. 8. A refrigerator unit adapted to house'a refrigerant comprising a housing space for said refrigerant and a space beneath said housing space in which water from said refrigerant may drain, the walls of said housing space being of such material and form as to promote heat transferance therethrough, and a vent permitting the escape of gas from said unit, and means for drawing water from said drain space.

4.' In a refrigerating unit adapted to house a refrigerant consisting of hydrated solid carbon dioxide a plate thermally connected Lei-noaa with said housing adapted and arranged to contact with said refrigerant and to fall with itduring its phase changing action without losing thermal connection with the walls of said unit.

5. A refrigerator unit comprising a container having walls of metal substantially gas-tight except for a high level vent and adapted to enclose a refrigerant of a type having a'substan-tial water content adapted upon absorption of the heat to form a frost blanket of substantial thickness on the surface of said refrigerant, and means for supporting said refrigerant above the level of the bottom of said container, the size of the container being proportioned to the size and water content of the refrigerant to afford room for formation of a substantial thickness of frost blanket.

6. A refrigerator unit comprising a container having walls of metal substantially gas-tight except for a high level vent and adapted to enclose a refrigerant of a type having a substantial Water content adapted upon absorption of the heat to form a frost blanket ofv substantial thickness on the surface of said refrigerant, and means for supporting said refrigerant above the level of the bottom of said container, the size of the container being proportioned to the size and water content of the refrigerant to affordV room for formation of a substantial thickness of frost blanket, the side walls being constructed to provide large heat absorbing area and projecting inward a sufficient distance to contact with said frost blanket.

7 A refrigerator unit comprising a container having walls of metal substantially gas-tight except for a high level vent and adapted to enclose a refrigerant, consisting of solid carbon dioxide havlng a water content sufiicient to form a substantial frost blanket on the surface of the solid during evaporation, the side walls being constructed to provide large heat absorbing area and projecting inward a sufficient distance to contact with said frost blanket.

8. A refrigerator unit comprising a con- 5'0 tainer having walls of metal substantially gas-tight except4 for a high level vent and adapted to enclose a refrigerant of' a type,

having a substantial water content adapted upon absorption of the heat to form a frost blanket of substantial thickness on the surbodying a gas-tight space into which water may drain from the refrigerant.

10. A refrigerator unit comprising a container having walls of metal substantially gas-tight except for a high level vent and adapted to enclose a refrigerant and embodying a gas-tight space into which water may drain from the refrigerant.

1l. A household refrigerator unit comprising solid carbon dioxide having a substantial water content, enclosed in a housing of substantially rectangular cross section having walls of good heat conducting material constructed to provide enlarged heat absorbing surfaces and to contact with said refrigerant when in place, said walls of the unit being provided with a vent for the escape of gas and a drain to allow the escape of water during the phase changing action of the refrigerant.

- In witness whereof, I have set my hand hereto this 9th day of January, 1930.

WALTER S. JOSEPHSON.

face of 'said refrigerant, the side walls being n constructed to provide large heat absorbing area and projecting inward a sufficient distance to Contact with said .frost blanket.

9. A container for. solid carbon dioxide having metal walls informed with inwardly j and outwardly projecting portions affording large interior, as well as exterior heat absorbing areas, said container being substantially gas-tight except for a high level vent and em- 

